Neck-yoke attachment.



No. 679,603. Patented July 30, I901.

' T. J. CHAPPELL.

NECK YUKE ATTACHMENT.

(Applicatinn me. Dec. 10, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses fi jwl/hmuentor gfiwg 2 By (W W M 1 35 flttorneys\ UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS JOHN ()IIAPPELL, OF GROVELAKE, MINNESOTA.

NECK-Y OKE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 679,603, dated July 30, 1901. Application filed December 10, 1900. serial No. 39,270. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS JOHN CHAP- PELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grovelake, in the county of Pope and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Neck-Yoke Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvementsin neck-yoke attachments, and has particular relation to devices for securing the harness breast-strap in position thereon.

One object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which will allow of the breast-strap being readily placed in position and taken therefrom and which will in addition permit of a free movement of the breast-strap around the yoke within a limited distance, yet preventing any lateral movement thereof which would tend to permit of the strap being accidentally detached from its connection with the yoke.

A further object is to providea construction which can be readily attached to the neck-yoke, which comprises a minimum number of parts, which can be manufactured cheaply, which is neat and attractive in appearance, durable in construction, and of easy and ready manipulation.

To these and otherends, the nature of which will be readily understood, my invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in all of the views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a neck-yoke, showing my attachment in position thereon and also showing a portion of a breast-strap in position on the yoke. Fig. 2 is a top plan View showing in full lines the normal position of the loop or strap retainer and in dotted lines positions which said loop may assume.

The common or ordinary manner of securing breaststraps, &c., to a neck-yoke is to unbuckle the loop of the strap, pass the free end thereof through a keeper on the under side of the yoke, and then again buckle the strap. This is not only a slow method of operation, but under certain circumstances-- such, for instance, as during cold weather-- an exceedingly disagreeable one. Various forms of attachments have been provided for eliminating the necessity of unbuckling and then rebuckling the strap. So far as I am aware, however, these have generally been arranged so as to remain in a stationary position on the yoke, so that there is no such freedom of movement of the strap when in position as is necessary to prevent unnecessary wearing out of the strap. In the present embodiment of my invent-ion I not only remedy these disadvantages where present, 1

but form a construction which can be readily made and applied in position and which, while allowing of this free movement, pro Vents any liability of the strap accidentally dropping from its position or being disengaged therefrom.

\Vhile I have herein shown one form of constructing myinvention, it is to be understood that other modes of accomplishing the same result may be employed, and I reserve the right to such modifications thereof as may fall within the spirit and scope of my invention as expressed in the claims of this spectfication.

In the drawings, 1 designates the neck'yoke, one end only of Whichis shown,whichyoke may be of any usual or preferred form. At asnitable point, preferably on the upper side there of, I secure a keeper 2, formed substantially as shown and consisting of a plate having wings 3, which are bent downwardly and secured to the sides of the yoke, as shown. The rear portion of the plate is bent downwardly and rearwardly to form an attaching-lug 4. The main portion of the plate therefore lies above the surface of the yoke and forms a recess or opening, within which the rear end of the loop or strap-retainer 5 is passed. Said loop or retainer is formed, preferably, of a single piece of material, the rear end having an eye 6, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) through which and the keeper and yoke is passed a suitable pivot-such, for instance, as the screw 7. The forward end of the loop is elongated, and its position is such that the end of the yoke extends a suitable distance beyond the forward end 'of the loop, it being understood, of course, that the elongated portion of the loop does not lie close against the surface of the yoke, but is bent to provide a suitable space between it and the surface of the yoke. Owing to the fact that the keeper is of some width, as shown, the loop or retainer is capable of having a pivotal movement on its pivot 7, as shown in Fig. 2, and yet retaining a fixed connection with the yoke. This pivotal movement is in a direction laterally of the yoke and toward or from the direction in which the breast-strap extends, and as this movement tends to move the strap rearward or inward on the yoke, if there is any movement of the strap whatever, any tendency of the strap to become disengaged is prevented, even though the pivotal movement take place. i

'In securing the strap in position the loop of the strap is first passed through the loop 5 (which is moved to one side, as shown in the dotted-line position of Fig. 2, for this purpose) and drawn therethrough a sufficientdistance to allow said strap-loop to be passed over theend of the neck-yoke. As the strap must be drawn to one side to enable its being passed over the end of the neck-yoke, it

will be readily seen that as soon as released it will assume its natural position, as shown in Fig. 1, and in which position the closed ends of the loop form stops to prevent a movement of the strap longitudinally of the yoke. In'disengaging the strap it is necessary only to draw on the loop portion of the strap until said loop can be passed over the end of the yoke.

As the attachment operates from either side, no particular care need be exercised in placing the yoke in posit-ion on the tongue.

It will be readily understood that modifications of this construction can be readily used-such,for instance, as the substitution of an ordinary form of keeper for that shown and providing a simple pivotal point in rear thereof, the keeper forming a guide for the loop.

Having thus described my invention, without pointing out all of the various modifications thereof which might be used or the various uses to which it may be put, what I claim as new is 1. The combination with a neck-yoke; of 50 an attachmentlocated on one side thereof and having a free pivotal movement on the yoke, said movement being in a lateral direction, said attachment preventing a movement of a breast-strap longitudinally of the yoke.

2. The combination with a neck-yoke; of a loop located on one side thereof, said loop having a limited free pivotal movement laterally of the, yoke, said loop preventing a movement of a breast-strap longitudinally of the yoke.

3. The combination with a neck-yoke; of a keeper carried thereby, said keeper having stops; and a loop pivotally connected to said yoke-and having a free pivotal movement between said stops, said loop being adapted to resist a movement of a breast-strap passed therethrough longitudinally of the yoke.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS JOHN CHAPPELL.

Witnesses:

J. B. HART, V. E. STRONG. 

